Calf puller



P 21, 1954 R. M. MINOCK 2,689,569

CALF FULLER Filed Nov. 5, 1953 INVENTOR. ROBE/P7 M Ml/VOCK Patented Sept. 21 1 954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

'animal from its mother which will be simple in construction and easy to operate in an efficient manner, can be knocked down into a compact form for transporting and can be manufactured at a low cost.

Another object is to produce for a device of the kind referred to an improved winch unit to perform a pulling operation and so associate it with the other structure that it can be disassembled therefrom and employed alone wherever a winch of this size may be found useful.

Still another object is to produce a calf puller of the kind referred to that can be set up for support on the ground when being used and at the same time have its pulling power means easily operable by the user.

A further object is to produce a calf puller which will enable a direct pull on a calf during delivery while its mother cow is on the ground, yet permit the operator to assume a standing position in operating the power device for accomplishing the pulling action.

An elongated tube or pipe I6 of proper strength is provided for snug telescoping into the tubular connector I5 of the breech member and this extends rearwardly for a considerable extent. To the rear end of the pipe I6 is attached a connector T. This connector has a straight part I1 which is of a size to have its forward end received into the rear end of tube I6. At the rear end of part I! there are attached two laterally extending diverging legs I8 and I9 which is accomplished with an integral sleeve adapted to be telescopically received on the rear end of part II. Two tubular support feet members 20 and 2| have their upper ends telescopically receiving the feet I8 and I9. Because of the spread of the support feet, there is provided a strong support structure to hold the end of tube I 6 above the ground. The length of the tubular support members will be such as to position the rear end of the tubular member I6 above the ground'between one to two feet. Projecting rearwardly and upwardly from the part ll of the connector T and approximately at a point midway of its length is a leg 22 which is adapted to telescopi- Other objects of my invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of my improved calf puller set up for operation with the crank for the winch unit shown in disengaged condition;

Figure 2 is a view of the winch unit on the side opposite the crank showing the pawl and ratchet structure for holding the reel of the winch from rearward rotation;

Figure 3 is a view of the winch from the end I in which the cable is wound; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged view showing the assemblage from which the support feet extend.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the calf puller shown by way of example comprises a U-shaped breech member B for fitting up against the cow'below its buttocks. The forwardly extending legs of this breech member are provided with slots I I and I2 by which is attached a looped strap I3 provided with a buckle I4 for adjustment The strap is of sufficient length to pass over the back of the cow and hold the breech member in position against slipping downwardly on her legs. The base of the breech member at its center is provided with a short tubular connector I5 welded thereto.

cally receive one end of a tubular member 23.

On the upper end of this tubular member 23 is mounted a winch unit W in a quickly detachable manner so that the winch can be used separately from the rest of the structure just described,

whenever desired. The winch unit is very com pact and is provided with a unitary cast casing having a tubular section 24 and a flat like cupshaped section 25 of a thickness close to the diameter of the tubular section and a width approximately twice its thickness. The tubular section is closed at one end and is of a size that its open end can snugly receive the upper end of the tubular member 23 to attach the winch thereto. Journaled in the side walls 26 and 21 of the cup-shaped section 25 is a shaft 28 which is adapted to extend outwardly beyond both walls. The portion of the shaft between the walls acts as a reel and secured thereto is one end of a flexible line or cable 0 to be wound therearound. It is by means of this cable that the calf will be pulled upon to assist the mother cow to give birth thereto. As shown in Figure 1, the cable is arranged to extend downwardly along the tubular member 23 to the connector T where it will pass through an eyelet 29 and then extend along the tube or pipe I6 toward the breech member. This eyelet, as shown in Figure .4, has an open side through which the cable can be passed to a position in the eyelet. At the outer end the cable will be attached to the central part of a chain 30 suitably constructed so that its ends can 3 be connected to the legs of a calf being delivered by the mother cow.

Again referring to the winch W, one outer end of its shaft 28 will carry a cross pin 3| near where it projects from side wall 26 so that a crank K can be quickly attached to the shaft, to rotate it and wind up the cable. It will be noted that the crank has a slotted hub 32 at one end to receive the shaft and interengage with the cross pin, and at its other end a lateral handle extension 33 for gripping by the hand of the user.

On the other outer end of shaft 28 there is secured, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3, a ratchet wheel 34, the securement being by a set screw 35-. Cooperating with the teeth of this ratchet wheel is a pawl 36, such being pivoted by a suitable pivot screw 31 to the tubular section 24 of the winch unit as best illustrated in Figure 2.

The winch unit, in addition :to the structure just described, is constructed so it can be used for other purposes than pulling a calf when the unit is detached from the tubular member 23. This is facilitated by providing on the rear or closed end of the cup-shaped section 25 of the casing an integral eye in line with the shaft. If desired, a hook 39 can be attached to this eye as shown in dotted lines-in Figure l. 7

It is believed to be obvious how my improved calf puller operates. The U-shaped breech member B is placed in a suitable manner against the breech of a cow in her lying position when giving birth to the calf, the cow being indicated somewhat by dashed lines in Figure l. The strap l3 will go over the cows back. The support feet 20 and 2 i will be set to hold the rear end of the tube or pipe H3 off th ground and give it a support. The calfs rear feet will be connected to the cable C by the chain. The crank will be connected to the shaft 28 of the winch unit W and the cable will then be woundonto this shaft and a strong pulling force transferred to the calf to aid in the cow giving birth to the calf. If, at any time the winch is desired to be held in any wound-up condition while the operator does some other service to the cow during the calis birth, the ratchet wheel can be locked against retrograde movement by setting the pawl 36.

It will be noted that the winch unit is held up for very convenient operation by the user and will have a firm support on the ground by the supporting tubular members or feet 20 and 21, yet at the same time a straight pulling force is applied .to the calf which has its direction along the tube or pipe [5. All this is accomplished by threading the cable through the eyelet 2'9 carriedby the connector T.

It will be further noted that the calf puller can be readily knocked down into a compact package, either for transporting or for original packaging. The longest members will be the pipe l6 and tubular member 23. The cable can be easily disengaged from the eye 29 without removal of the chain. The crank is also easily removed from the winch unit.

By having the winch uniteasily removable from the end of tubular member 23 and having it provided with an eye (and hook if desired), the winch can be used for other purposes around a ranch,

4 as for example, stretching the wire of fences, assisting in pulling a vehicle out of a place where it may be stuck, or as a power lifting means to raise heavy articles from one place to a higher place. In so using the winch, it can be conveniently attached to a fixed member by the eye (and hook if provided) and the free end of the cable attached to the object to be moved or vice versa.

Being aware of the possibility of modifications in the structure shown by of example as embodying my invention, all without departing from the fundamental principles thereof, I desire it to be understood that the scope of the invention is not to be limited except in accordance with the structure defined in the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

What isclaimed is:

1. A calf puller comprising a breech member for engaging a cow, an elongated member extending rearwardly from the breech member, a structure for supporting the" rear end of the elongated member on and above theground, another elongated member connected toand extending up wardly and rearwardly from the first elongated member, a manually operated device attached to the upper end of the second elongated member for force pull-ing purposes, a flexible line connected to the force pulling device, and means for guiding the line so it will move alongside the two 1ongitudinal members in the same general direction in which they extend.

2. The puller of claim 1 in which the support structure is two members extending laterally from the rear end of the first elongated member in a diverging relation. 7

3. The puller of claim 1 which the elongated members are tubular and the supporting structure involves tubular members and all are readily detachably' connected together by a connector device.

4. The puller of claim 1 in which the force pulling device is a winch unit having a cupshaped section carrying a' reel and another par allel section for telescopically mounting on the end of the second elongated member for ready detachment.

5. The puller of claim 3 in which the connector device has angularly related extending parts to be telescopically associated with the elongated tubular members for ready attachment andde taohment and to which the tubular members of the supporting structure are attached in a divergin relation.

6. The puller of claim 3 in which the connector device carries the guide means and it is in the form of an open sided eyelet.

'7'. The calf uller of claim 1 in which the ui1- ing device is detachable and in the form of a. winch unit comprising a cup-shaped section having a shaft extending there'through, and to which the pulling line attached, a detachable crank for one endof the shaft, a ratchet wheel on the other end of the shafta pivoted pawl for preventing retrograde rotation of the ratchet wheel and shaft, and means on the section for cdnnect ing it to some other member.

N 0 references cited. 

